16 Dec 201806:57am IST

Report byTeam Herald

PANJIIM: While various States have shown the door to national parties, the regional ally of Goa government has lamented that the State has lagged in forming a true regional party.

Addressing the Goan diaspora in Dubai, Goa Forward Party (GFP) President Vijai Sardesai cited the success of regional party Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) in Telangana for the second consecutive term, in the recently held Assembly elections.

“Goa has lagged behind in forming a true regionalistic party and that has resulted in wanton interference in creating policies and decisions skewed against Goans. We are here to correct that. Our ideology, organisation and leadership begin and end with Goenkars. We are your brothers and sisters in your home State,” Sardesai said at the launch of Goans Connecting Goans, an initiative of UAE Goans.

He elaborated on the success of TRS in Telangana while also mentioning about dominant regional parties like BJD and DMK showing beyond doubt that regional parties are more efficient, trustworthy and powerful in the local political landscape. Interestingly, the Goa government was once led by regional party like MGP but later replaced with national parties. MGP has now become an ally of the coalition government, earlier with the Congress and now with the BJP.

“Supporting Goa Forward is most relevant today because the only way to play a decisive role in national politics is to be a strong regionalistic party. Otherwise I fear that it would be repeated that Goa, which has been everybody’s playground except for the Goans, will continue to be so,” the minister added.

While urging the Goan population in Dubai to engage with a government that intends to take them into confidence while taking Goa forward, Sardesai, who is also a minister in the government, called upon Goans in the UAE to exhibit the same positivity when they are abroad while looking at a fast developing Goa.

He further expanded on the idea of Goenkar without borders and emphasised that he led a party formed for not only the welfare of Goenkars residing in Goa, but also to address many issues of Goenkars residing abroad, and safeguard their interests in their homeland. “Our agenda is to offer Goenkars everywhere the political power and voice to have a say in the affairs in their home State. By not compromising on our Goenkar first policy, GFP in the government would ensure that jobs are created so that Goenkars don’t have to leave their State against their wishes,” he said, adding that by bringing land reforms they will also ensure Goans are not deprived of their heritage.

The minister has tried to recreate good infrastructure from Dubai in Goa – one of the examples being the SGPDA retail fish market. “It illustrates how the government in general and Goa Forward in particular is a bridge on which two-way traffic is possible,” Sardesai said.